UNIVERSITY of GOTHENBURG School of Global Studies

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

UNIVERSITY of GOTHENBURG School of Global Studies UNIVERSITY OF GOTHENBURG School of Global Studies A host society’s perception of changes in its young peoples’ cultural identity due to tourism: A case study in Bagan, Myanmar Master thesis in Global Studies Spring Semester 2014 Higher Education Credits: 30 HEC Author: Anna-Katharina Rich Supervisor: Anja Karlsson Franck Word Count: 19 528 Acknowledgements............................................................................................................ 4 Abstract ............................................................................................................................. 5 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................... 6 2. Aim and research questions............................................................................................ 7 3. Relevance to global studies ............................................................................................ 8 4. Delimitation ................................................................................................................... 9 5. Theoretical approach.................................................................................................... 10 5.1. Cultural identity ....................................................................................................................................................... 10 5.1.1. (Cultural) identity in post-conflict societies.............................................................................................. 12 5.1.2. (Cultural) identity in young people............................................................................................................... 13 5.2. Tourism development............................................................................................................................................ 14 5.2.1. Perceptions of tourism’s impacts in host societies ................................................................................. 15 5.2.2. Tourism development in post-conflict societies ...................................................................................... 16 5.3. Cultural identity and tourism development................................................................................................. 17 5.3.1. Tourism’s ways of influencing cultural identity...................................................................................... 17 5.3.2. Tourism’s influence on cultural identity..................................................................................................... 18 6. The Burma/Myanmar Case........................................................................................... 21 6.1. The country ................................................................................................................................................................ 21 6.2. (Cultural) identity in Burma/Myanmar......................................................................................................... 23 6.3. Tourism in Burma/Myanmar ............................................................................................................................. 25 6.4. The study region: Bagan ....................................................................................................................................... 26 7. Methodology................................................................................................................ 27 7.1. Research strategy .................................................................................................................................................... 27 7.2. Data collection........................................................................................................................................................... 28 7.2.1. Sampling................................................................................................................................................................... 28 7.2.2. Observations ........................................................................................................................................................... 28 7.2.3. Semi-structured interviews .............................................................................................................................. 29 7.2.4. Interview situation and interviewees........................................................................................................... 29 7.3. Data analysis.............................................................................................................................................................. 31 7.4. Methodological concerns...................................................................................................................................... 31 8. Results ......................................................................................................................... 32 8.1. Specific areas of tourism’s influence on young peoples’ cultural identity...................................... 33 8.1.1. Style of dressing..................................................................................................................................................... 33 8.1.2. Taste of food............................................................................................................................................................ 35 8.1.3. Consumption of alcohol and cigarettes....................................................................................................... 35 8.1.4. Use of Internet/Facebook.................................................................................................................................. 37 8.1.5. Taste in films and music..................................................................................................................................... 37 8.1.6. Freetime activities................................................................................................................................................ 38 8.1.7. Use of Thanaka/Make-Up ................................................................................................................................. 39 8.1.8. Consumption of betelnut.................................................................................................................................... 40 8.1.9. Importance of education ................................................................................................................................... 40 8.1.10. Attitudes towards relationships/marriage ............................................................................................ 41 8.1.11. Importance of religion ..................................................................................................................................... 43 8.1.12. Prevalent values.................................................................................................................................................. 44 8.1.13. Importance of money........................................................................................................................................ 45 8.2. General tendencies/connections ...................................................................................................................... 45 9. Discussion .................................................................................................................... 48 2 10. Conclusion.................................................................................................................. 55 11. References.................................................................................................................. 58 12. Appendix.................................................................................................................... 69 3 Acknowledgements I would like to express my greatest thanks to my supervisor Anja Karlsson Franck, who has guided me through this project intensely despite her busy schedule and plenitude of projects. Every meeting gave rise to new ways of thinking and viewing my project. It has been highly inspirational working with her and sharing our fascination for Myanmar. My gratitude towards Mr. Thuratow is unlimited. He has not only been a very professional interpreter, but also a great help in recruiting suitable interview partners and an amazing friend, who helped me through all my ups and downs during my time of research in Bagan. Mr. Thuratow, without you I would have not been able to do this project. Thank you! I am incredibly thankful for having the best parents in the world, who always supported me in my private as well as professional decisions and have never failed to believe in me and encouraged my, not always straight-lined academic decisions. Mami and Papi, I would not be where I am today without you. And last but not least I want to thank the School of Global Studies of the University of Gothenburg for enabling me two years of extremely interesting studies, which opened my eyes in many ways and proved that I have finally found my area of passionate interest. 4 Abstract After the democratising steps following the 2010 election, Myanmar has evolved from a highly isolated country to an emerging tourist destination. As tourism’s impacts are more extreme in previously isolated countries, severe influences of tourism – both positive and negative
Recommended publications
  • Karen-Burmese Refugees
    Karen-Burmese Refugees An orientation for health workers and volunteers Developed by Christine Dziedzic, Student Project Officer Community Nutrition Unit, Annerley Road Community Health Background Information • The Karen-Burmese live in mountainous jungle regions of Myanmar (southern and eastern), and Thailand • Myanmar is located in South- East Asia – Formally known as Burma – Developing and largely rural – Bordered by China, Tibet, Laos, Thailand, Bangladesh and India Source: cyberschoolbus.un.org Community Nutrition Unit, Annerley Road Community Health P: (07) 3010 3550 Myanmar - Background InformationWorld Health Organisation (2006) • Population: 50 519 000 • Life expectancy at birth: – 61 years • Infant mortality rate – Per 1000 live births: 106 – 4.7 / 1000 in Australia (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2006) • Language: Burmese – Indigenous peoples have their own languages Flag of Myanmar – Over 126 dialects Source: cyberschoolbus.un.org Community Nutrition Unit, Annerley Road Community Health P: (07) 3010 3550 History of Myanmar • 1886: Became a province of British India • 1948: Gained independence • 1962: Military dictatorship took power – Large outflow of refugees • 1988: Martial law declared – Increased refugee numbers • State of civil war for much of the past 50 years Community Nutrition Unit, Annerley Road Community Health P: (07) 3010 3550 Ethnic Groups • Major ethnic group: Burmese • Largest indigenous population: Karen • Other indigenous races include: – Shans – Chins – Mon – Rakhine – Katchin • Ethnic tension
    [Show full text]
  • Birma Na Zakręcie. Zmiany W Kraju Tysiąca Pagód 2007–2014
    BIRMA NA ZAKRĘCIE MIĘDZY DYKTATURĄ A DEMOKRACJĄ BIRMA NA ZAKRĘCIE. ZMIANY W KRAJU TYSIĄCA PAGÓD 2007–2014 „Złoty Budda Mahamuni siedzi w głębi głównej nawy. Na wysokości jego pępka widać rusztowanie, a na nim trzech uwijających się mężczyzn, którzy nieustannymi ruchami PRZEMYSŁAW GASZTOLD-SEŃ rąk jak gdyby poprawiają coś w posągu. [...] Zachęceni przez przewodnika, wdrapujemy pracownik Biura Edukacji Publicznej IPN, się na rusztowanie, ale jedna z belek przywiera tak ściśle do posągu, że aby przejść do doktorant na Wydziale Dziennikarstwa i Nauk Politycznych Uniwersytetu przodu i stanąć oko w oko z Buddą, trzeba na zakręcie oprzeć się rękami o jego ramię. Warszawskiego. Autor książki Konces- Czuję obiema dłońmi gorącą lepkość jakiejś mazi i prześlizgnąwszy się szybko na przedni jonowany nacjonalizm. Zjednoczenie pomost rusztowania, odrywam z instynktownym uczuciem wstrętu ręce od posągu: są Patriotyczne „Grunwald” 1980–1990 ubabrane złotem” – zanotował w maju 1952 r. Gustaw Herling-Grudziński w dzienniku (2012, Nagroda Historyczna „Polityki” z podróży do Birmy1. Od czasu jego wizyty w Mandalaj minęło ponad sześćdziesiąt lat2. za debiut, nominacja do Nagrody Przez ten długi czas posąg Buddy znacznie się rozrósł dzięki płatkom złota przylepianym im. Kazimierza Moczarskiego), współautor tomu Syria During the Cold War. The East codziennie przez setki pielgrzymów. Przywiązania do religii nie podminowały ani rządy European Connection (razem z Janem parlamentarne, ani pół wieku krwawej wojskowej dyktatury. Buddyzm wciąż stanowi Adamcem i Massimilianem Trentinem, najważniejszą wartość i punkt odniesienia dla większości Birmańczyków. 2014). We wrześniu 2007 r. i w listopadzie Jaka jest Birma dzisiaj? Czy po wielu latach autorytarnych rządów generałów wejdzie 2013 r. podróżował po Birmie. na drogę ku demokracji? Czy wydarzenia z ostatnich lat są autentycznym krokiem w stronę reformy systemu? Nie na wszystkie pytania znajdzie się jednoznaczną odpowiedź, ale warto pochylić się nad tym najmniej znanym krajem Azji Południowo-Wschodniej.
    [Show full text]
  • Tourism Development in Thandaung Gyi a Grounded Theory Study On
    Tourism Development in Thandaung Gyi A Grounded Theory Study on Tourism Development Thomas L. Maatjens Department of Geography, Planning and Environment, Radboud University Master Thesis Prof. Dr. Huib Ernste Feb. 28, 2020 i Preface The writing process of this thesis has been long and at times very hard for me. However, I am incredibly proud of the result, with which I am about to complete my Cultural Geography and Tourism master’s degree and thus conclude my studies at Radboud University Nijmegen. My time at Radboud University has been incredibly rewarding and I am looking forward to what the future might hold. The research and writing process of this thesis would not have been possible without the help of several people. First, I would like to thank my thesis supervisor Prof. Dr. Huib Ernste for his time and support. My time in the Republic of Myanmar would not have been as fulfilling as it was without the help of my internship supervisor Marlo Perry and the team of the Myanmar Responsible Tourism Institute in Yangon. I would like to thank them and the people of Thandaung Gyi for their hospitality and support. I would also like to thank Jan and Marlon for their support and last, but not least, I would like to thank my girlfriend Hannah for her love and dedication to me. Thomas L. Maatjens Nijmegen, February 28, 2020 ii Executive Summary This thesis seeks to understand the process of tourism development in Thandaung Gyi, within the context of the region’s economic development and ongoing peace process.
    [Show full text]
  • Myanmar Buddhism of the Pagan Period
    MYANMAR BUDDHISM OF THE PAGAN PERIOD (AD 1000-1300) BY WIN THAN TUN (MA, Mandalay University) A THESIS SUBMITTED FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY SOUTHEAST ASIAN STUDIES PROGRAMME NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE 2002 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my gratitude to the people who have contributed to the successful completion of this thesis. First of all, I wish to express my gratitude to the National University of Singapore which offered me a 3-year scholarship for this study. I wish to express my indebtedness to Professor Than Tun. Although I have never been his student, I was taught with his book on Old Myanmar (Khet-hoà: Mranmâ Râjawaà), and I learnt a lot from my discussions with him; and, therefore, I regard him as one of my teachers. I am also greatly indebted to my Sayas Dr. Myo Myint and Professor Han Tint, and friends U Ni Tut, U Yaw Han Tun and U Soe Kyaw Thu of Mandalay University for helping me with the sources I needed. I also owe my gratitude to U Win Maung (Tampavatî) (who let me use his collection of photos and negatives), U Zin Moe (who assisted me in making a raw map of Pagan), Bob Hudson (who provided me with some unpublished data on the monuments of Pagan), and David Kyle Latinis for his kind suggestions on writing my early chapters. I’m greatly indebted to Cho Cho (Centre for Advanced Studies in Architecture, NUS) for providing me with some of the drawings: figures 2, 22, 25, 26 and 38.
    [Show full text]
  • Buddhism in Myanmar a Short History by Roger Bischoff © 1996 Contents  Preface  1
    Buddhism in Myanmar A Short History by Roger Bischoff © 1996 Contents Preface 1. Earliest Contacts with Buddhism 2. Buddhism in the Mon and Pyu Kingdoms 3. Theravada Buddhism Comes to Pagan 4. Pagan: Flowering and Decline 5. Shan Rule 6. The Myanmar Build an Empire 7. The Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries Notes Bibliography Preface Myanmar, or Burma as the nation has been known throughout history, is one of the major countries following Theravada Buddhism. In recent years Myanmar has attained special eminence as the host for the Sixth Buddhist Council, held in Yangon (Rangoon) between 1954 and 1956, and as the source from which two of the major systems of Vipassana meditation have emanated out into the greater world: the tradition springing from the Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw of Thathana Yeiktha and that springing from Sayagyi U Ba Khin of the International Meditation Centre. This booklet is intended to offer a short history of Buddhism in Myanmar from its origins through the country's loss of independence to Great Britain in the late nineteenth century. I have not dealt with more recent history as this has already been well documented. To write an account of the development of a religion in any country is a delicate and demanding undertaking and one will never be quite satisfied with the result. This booklet does not pretend to be an academic work shedding new light on the subject. It is designed, rather, to provide the interested non-academic reader with a brief overview of the subject. The booklet has been written for the Buddhist Publication Society to complete its series of Wheel titles on the history of the Sasana in the main Theravada Buddhist countries.
    [Show full text]
  • What About the Rohingya?
    UPPSALA UNIVERSITY Department of Theology Master Programme in Religion in Peace and Conflict Master thesis, 30 credits Spring, 2019 Supervisor: Håkan Bengtsson What about the Rohingya? A study searching for power relations in different levels of society Ewa Einarsson Abstract This study aims to search for patterns that demonstrate power relations. It specifically seeks to identify patterns in the power relations in the Rohingya conflict and understand the established power relations at different levels in society, which could provide a picture of the social world within the context of historical, ethnic, cultural, religious and political circumstances. Moreover, this study illustrates the Rohingya population’s experience with relations of power. The ongoing conflict in Myanmar, which is based on religion, ethnicity and politics, is seemingly without any solution. Myanmar is depicted as a country that has lost both hope and legitimacy for the political system and has reduced chances to establish a society in which all the minorities are included across the spheres of society. Finding a bright future for the Rohingya population might be difficult; nevertheless, this study seeks to enhance the understanding of the ongoing conflict and the underlying power relations. 2 Table of Contents A study searching for power relations in different levels of society ................................................................. 1 ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Listening to Voices Perspectives from the Tatmadaw’S Rank and File
    Listening to Voices Perspectives From the Tatmadaw’s Rank and File Listening to Voices – Perspectives From the Tatmadaw’s Rank and File 1 Methodology and training: Soth Plai Ngarm Project coordinaton and writng: Amie Kirkham Writng and editng support: Raymond Hyma, Amelia Breeze, Sarah Clarke Layout by: Boonruang Song-ngam Published by: The Centre for Peace and Confict Studies (CPCS), 2015 Funding Support: The Royal Norwegian Embassy, Myanmar, Dan Church Aid ISBN: 9 789996 381768 2 Contents Acknowledgements .............................................................. 4 Preface ................................................................................. 5 A Brief History of the Tatmadaw ........................................... 9 Implementaton and Method ............................................. 14 Findings in Brief .................................................................. 20 Expanding Main Themes .................................................... 23 Peace and the peace process .............................................. 23 Development needs included in negotatons .................... 32 Life in the rank and fle ........................................................ 34 The future: challenges and needs ....................................... 36 Overcoming Prejudice – insights from the listeners ............. 40 Conclusions and Opportunites ........................................... 43 Bibliography ....................................................................... 45 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The young men and
    [Show full text]
  • CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Country Profile
    CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Country Profile Region: East Asia & Pacific (Known as Southeast Asia) Country: The Republic of Union of Myanmar Capital: Naypyidaw Largest City: Yangon (7,355,075 in 2014) Currency: Myanmar Kyat Population: 7 million (2017) GNI Per Capital: (U$$) 1,293 (2017) GDP: $94.87 billion (2017) GDP Growth: 9.0% (2017) Inflation: 10.8% 2017 (The World Bank, 2016) Language: Myanmar, several dialects and English Religion: Over 80 percent of Myanmar Theravada Buddhism. There are Christians, Muslims, Hindus, and some animists. Business Hours: Banks: 09:30 – 15:00 Mon –Fri Office: 09:30-16:00 Mon-Fri Airport Tax: 10 US Dollars for departure at international gates Customs: Foreign currencies (above USD 10000), jewelry, cameras And electronic goods must be declared to the customs at The airport. Exports of antiques and archaeologically Valuable items are prohibited. 2.2 Myanmar Tourism Overview Myanmar has been recorded as one of Asia’s most prosperous economies in the region before World War II and expected to gain rapid industrialization. The country belongs rich natural resources and one of most educated nations in Southeast Asia. However, Myanmar economic was getting worst after military coup in 1962, which transform to be one of the poorest nations in the region. “Then military government centrally planned and inward looking strategies such as nationalization of all major industries and import-substitution polices had long been pursued (Ni Lar, 2012)”. These strategies were laydown under General Nay Win leadership theory so called “Burmese Way to Socialism”. Since then, the country economic getting into problems such as ‘inactive in industrial production, high inflection, resign living cost, and macroeconomic mismanagement’.
    [Show full text]
  • The Rohingyas of Rakhine State: Social Evolution and History in the Light of Ethnic Nationalism
    RUSSIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES INSTITUTE OF ORIENTAL STUDIES Eurasian Center for Big History & System Forecasting SOCIAL EVOLUTION Studies in the Evolution & HISTORY of Human Societies Volume 19, Number 2 / September 2020 DOI: 10.30884/seh/2020.02.00 Contents Articles: Policarp Hortolà From Thermodynamics to Biology: A Critical Approach to ‘Intelligent Design’ Hypothesis .............................................................. 3 Leonid Grinin and Anton Grinin Social Evolution as an Integral Part of Universal Evolution ............. 20 Daniel Barreiros and Daniel Ribera Vainfas Cognition, Human Evolution and the Possibilities for an Ethics of Warfare and Peace ........................................................................... 47 Yelena N. Yemelyanova The Nature and Origins of War: The Social Democratic Concept ...... 68 Sylwester Wróbel, Mateusz Wajzer, and Monika Cukier-Syguła Some Remarks on the Genetic Explanations of Political Participation .......................................................................................... 98 Sarwar J. Minar and Abdul Halim The Rohingyas of Rakhine State: Social Evolution and History in the Light of Ethnic Nationalism .......................................................... 115 Uwe Christian Plachetka Vavilov Centers or Vavilov Cultures? Evidence for the Law of Homologous Series in World System Evolution ............................... 145 Reviews and Notes: Henri J. M. Claessen Ancient Ghana Reconsidered .............................................................. 184 Congratulations
    [Show full text]
  • "Jesus Is Not a Foreign God":Christian Music-Making in Burma/ Myanmar
    University of Dayton eCommons Music Faculty Publications Department of Music 2021 "Jesus Is Not a Foreign God":Christian Music-Making in Burma/ Myanmar Heather MacLachlan University of Dayton, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://ecommons.udayton.edu/mus_fac_pub Part of the Music Commons eCommons Citation MacLachlan, Heather, ""Jesus Is Not a Foreign God":Christian Music-Making in Burma/Myanmar" (2021). Music Faculty Publications. 23. https://ecommons.udayton.edu/mus_fac_pub/23 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Music at eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Music Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of eCommons. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. ‘Jesus Is Not A Foreign God’: Baptist Music Making in Burma/Myanmar Christians in the Southeast Asian country of Burma, also known as Myanmar, make up approximately five percent of the national population. The Christian community of Burma includes both Catholics and Protestants, and the Protestants are divided into many denominations. Baptist Christians are predominant among this group, and they provided most of the ethnographic information upon which this article is based. In the article I argue that twenty-first century Baptists in Burma fulfill both aspects of a “twofold legacy” bequeathed to them by Adoniram Judson, the first Baptist missionary to Burma, and that their fulfillment of this legacy is manifest in their musical practices. I further argue that it has been, and continues to be, to Burmese Baptists’ advantage to emphasize both aspects of this religious legacy, because at various times both aspects have highlighted their affiliation with more powerful groups inside Burma.
    [Show full text]
  • The Causes and Consequences of Recurrent
    THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO LIVING WITH VIOLENCE: THE CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF RECURRENT BUDDHIST-MUSLIM VIOLENCE IN MYANMAR A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE DIVISION OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY BY NATHANIEL JAMES GONZALEZ CHICAGO, ILLINOIS AUGUST 2020 Copyright © 2020 by Nathaniel James Gonzalez All Rights Reserved TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................................ v LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................................... vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................................... vii ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................. viii RECURRENT COMMUNAL VIOLENCE ................................................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Studying Recurrent Communal Violence ....................................................................... 4 1.3 Defining Communal Conflict and Communal Violence ................................................ 7 1.4 The Causes of Communal Violence ............................................................................. 16 1.5
    [Show full text]
  • Research Impact of Pāli on the Development of Myanmar Literature
    Journal homepage: http://twasp.info/journal/home Research Impact of Pāli on the Development of Myanmar Literature Dr- Tin Tin New1*, Yee Mon Phay2, Dr- Minn Thant3 1Professor, Department of Oriental Studies, Mandalay University, Mandalay, Myanmar 2PhD Candidate, School of Liberal Arts, Department of Global Studies, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China 3Lecturer, Department of Oriental Studies, Mandalay University, Myanmar *Corresponding author Accepted:19 August, 2019 ;Online: 25 August, 2019 DOI : https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3377041 Abstract Buddhism introduced Myanmar since the first century AD and there prospered in about 4th to 5th century AD in Śriksetra (Hmawza, Pyay), Suvannabhūmi (Thaton), Rakhine and Bagan. Since that time, people of Myanmar made their effort to develop and prosper Buddhism having studied Pāli, the language of Theravāda Buddhism. In Bagan period, they attempted to create Burmese scripts and writing system imitating to Pāli. From that time Myanmar Literature gradually had been developed up to present. In this paper it is shed a light about influence of Pāli on Myanmar Literature. Keywords Burmese literature, Ancient literature. Impact of Pāli on the Development of Myanmar Literature Literary and archaeological sources as founded in Śriksetra (Hmawza, Pyay), Suvannabhūmi (Thaton), Rakhine and Bagan proved that Buddhism introduced Myanmar since the first century AD and there prospered in about 4th to 5th century AD. Pyu people recorded Pāli extracts in Pyu scripts, Mon also recorded Pāli in their own scripts and Myanmar recorded Pāli in Myanmar script. In this way, people of Myanmar made their effort to develop and prosper Buddhism having studied Pāli, the language of Theravāda Buddhism.
    [Show full text]